CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey met with the media Monday at the Kenan Football Center in advance of the No. 17 Tar Heels’ game Saturday at Pittsburgh.
Lindsey spoke a lot about wide receiver Nate McCollum, some about Drake Maye, the running game, Pitts’ defense and more.
UNC is 3-0 while the Panthers are 1-2 with a win over Wofford and losses the last two weeks at home to Cincinnati and at West Virginia.
Above is video of Lindsey’s Q&A session, and below are some notes from what he had to say:
*UNC is No. 2 in the nation in third-down conversion rate at 65.1 percent. To what does Lindsey attribute this?
“We’ve tried to put ourselves in position by running plays that we know we can execute. I think that’s the biggest thing on third downs is trying to find the players your players know already, that are kind of base plays that you can fit in on third down. And find ways to dress it and hide it a little bit.
“I think we’ve done a nice job with that. And Drake’s made some nice plays moving in and out of the pocket.”
*Nearly 90 percent of Kobe Paysour’s reps in the win over Minnesota were wide and not in slot, which is his more natural position. Paysour discussed in August he was working a lot outside, but hadn’t gotten many reps there in a game until Saturday. Lindsey was asked about that and how Paysour is coming along playing out there.
“That was the first game he really got a lot of reps out there. It’s a little different because now the plays you’ve been running for three weeks are you’re now the outside receiver, so you have to process that, and the speed of the game sometimes.
“I thought he did well. There’s a couple of little things to clean up. He’s a versatile guy.”
*Nate McCollum was targeted five times on UNC’s first possession against Minnesota, and eight times on the Tar Heels’ first drives. Lindsey says it wasn’t necessarily by design.
“Some of that was in base, we were going fast, and the ball goes where it goes then. But he’s a big part of our game plan for sure. If he hadn’t gotten injured, he would have been a big part early. The ball just kind of found him on Saturday.”
*Staying at wide receiver, Andre Greene played 17 snaps versus the Gophers, and has been in for 56 snaps so far this season. He has just one reception so far and has been targets only three times. His lone target Saturday almost turned into an incredible catch, one UNC Coach Mack Brown said would have been a “breakout” play for Greene.
Lindsey says Greene is making progress and is trusted by the staff. “He’s in the game so we have confidence in him.”
*On Pitts defense, which ranks No. 5 in total defense allowing only 236 yards per game, and is No. 2 in passing yards allowed.
“(Pitt) Coach (Pat) Narduzzi, I don’t know him at all, but just his reputation as a defensive coach throughout his whole career, everywhere he’s been, he’s been really good on defense. They do a great job of challenging you and trying to affect the quarterback. It’s really their MO. They’re going to be physical, they’re going to be fast, they’re going to make you earn it.
“And if you’re good enough to do it, you’ll have a shot. And then they mix up the looks as well… We’re going to have to have a really good plan, and we’re going to have to be able to adjust some.”
